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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. E. GURTISS Fruit Drier.

No. 235,342. Patented Dec. 14,1880.

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I. E. GURTISS. Fruit Drier. No. 235,342. Patented Dec. 14,1880.

(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Witnesses: ."i ventor:

ETERS, PHOTO-LITHUGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D Q

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICEO THOMAS E. GURTISS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,342, dated December14, 1880. Application filed June 14, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. Onn'riss, of Bufi'alo, in the county ofErie and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements on a Fruit-Drier; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing description of my said invention, taken in connection with theaccompanying sheets of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exactspecification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to fruitdriers, and its object isthe production of an evaporator in which the fruit can be perfectlydried in the shortest possible time with the smallest expenditure offuel. To accomplish this end I construct my drier substantially as shownin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinalsection; Fig. 2, a sectional plan in line as 00 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, atransverse section, and Fig. 4 a sectional plan in line y y of Fig. 1.

Like parts are designated by corresponding letters of reference in allthe figures.

In these drawings, the letters A B represent the outer front and rearwalls, and O D the side walls. These latter walls are double walls, soas to produce between them spaces, which, by means of vertical rails orpartitions E, are formed into four or more separate ducts, F, G, H, andI, respectively.

In the inner walls, 0 D, there are openings J, leading from the ducts FG H I into the interior or drying chamber, there being one of saidopenings J for each duct. Below each of these passages J there areplaced into the vertical ducts slides K, passing through the outerwalls, 0 D, into said ducts, and serving as means to establish orinterrupt communication between said ducts and the openings J.

The inner Walls, 0 D, are not continued downward as far as the outerwalls, 0 D, but stop short a sufficient distance to permit theintroduction of a curved bottom, L, connecting said inner walls, 0 D,the object of said bottom being to deflect the heated air rising in thechamber M and to lead it into the ducts F, G, H, and I.

The walls A, B, O, and D are covered by means of a roof, Q, in whichthere is a suitable aperture for the passage of a conductingpipe, B,said pipe extending downward into a chamber formed by transverse walls SS and a bottom plate, T, the walls S S stopping short of the roof Q, toprovide for passages Q Q, for the object hereinafter more fullydescribed.

Above each of the passages J in the walls 0 D are placed perforateddiaphragms or plates Z, reaching from said walls to near the center ofthe drying-chamber. In the lower part of the walls C D are providedapertures V, having sliding shutters U to admit cold air into thechamber M.

In operation, this drier, which may be made of any desirable orrequisite capacity, is either placed upon a stove, furnace, or otherheater, or provided with a heater, X, placed into the chamber M. Now,cold air is led into this chamber through the passages V, which air isbeing heated in said chamber and rises therein. In ascending the airmeets the curved bottom L, and is thereby led into the ducts F G H I,from whence it escapes through the 0penings J into the interior ordrying chamber of the apparatus. On entering this chamber the air ispartly led along the perforated diaphragms Z toward the center andopposite side of the said chamber, and partly passed through theperforations in said plates Z, whereby said air is equally distributedwithin the drying-chamber.

It will now be observed that the ducts F, G, H, and I have each asliding shutter, K, whereby the amount of air passing from the ductsthrough the passages J into the drying-chamber can be regulated to anicety, to either distribute said air equally within to dryin g-chamheror, by closing one or more of said shutters, to direct the same to anyparticular spot.

By this construction the drying operation can be perfectly regulated,and, if necessary, all the heat concentrated and directed to any desiredplace within said drying-chamber, so that the fruit placed upon theracks P, placed upon slats N fastened to the walls 0 D, can be perfectlydried without being moved.

Heretofore fruit-driers have been made in various manners, some of whichhave the peculiarity that the drying proceeds from the top downward,while in most of them the drying naturally proceeds from the bottomupward. In both driers, in order to dry the fruit speedily, the gratesor racks have to be constantly moved up or down, so as to dry the fruitequally. This moving of the grates, whether done by mechanical means orotherwise, is more or less obiectionable, and is a continuous sourceoftrouble, but is entirely obviated in my drier, wherein I canconcentrate the heat and direct it to that place in the drying-chamberwhere the larger part of the heat should be required.

In my drier the lowermost grate or rack P has no hot-air supply, thefruit on said rack being dried by the heat radiating from the curvedbottom plate, L, which, for this purpose, is made of metal.

The hot-air from the drying-chamber is led through the passages Q Q overthe walls S S, and then caused to descend in the chamber X beforereaching the escape-tine It. By thus constructing the outlet for theheated air I obtain several beneficial results-viz., that the escape ofheated air is retarded, that the bottom plate, T, is heated and deflectsheat downward upon the uppermost grate or rack P, and that cold air isto a greater or lesser extent prevented from entering the dryingchamberthrough said escape-pipe It.

It is obvious that to obtain access to the drying-chamber the frontwall, A, will be provided with doors Y, corresponding in number withthat of the racks P.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new, and desire tosecure to me by Letters Patent of the United States, the followmg:

1. In fruit-driers, the combination, with the double walls 0 D C 1),having the partitions E, forming in the space between said walls ducts FG I] 1, having outlets J in the walls 0 D, of the shutters K, curvedbottom plate, L, heating-chamber M, racks P, and perforated diapliragmsZ, as and for the object specified.

2. In driers having double walls 0 (J D D, provided with ducts F G H I,the curved bottom plate, L, connecting the lower ends of the innerWalls, 0 D, as and for the object stated.

3. In driers, a drying chamber having a curved bottom connecting thelower ends of the inner walls, 0 D, in combination with the ducts F G HI, having outlets J in said inner walls, a series of shutters, K, placedinto said ducts below said outlets, and a series of perforateddiaphragms, Z, placed above said outlets in thedrying-ehamber,wherebythe ascending air from the heating-chamber M ispassed into the ducts and from them into any particu lar place in saiddrying-chem her, as specified.

4. In fruit-driers having a series of ducts leading hot air underneatheach of the shelves or crates except the uppermost one, the chamber X,having the vertical side walls, S S, and a flat horizontal bottom, T, incombination with the escape pipe R, said chamber being located in theuppermost part of the dryingchamber and in communication therewith bythe passages Q Q, as set forth, whereby iiigress of cold air through theescape-pipe into the drying-chamber is prevented, and whereby the fruitin the uppermost crate or tray 1 is dried by heat radiated and deflectedby the flat bottom T, substantially in the manner as and for the objectsspecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have heretoset my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS E. CURTISS.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL J. STARK, FRANK HIRSCH.

